US President Donald Trump has warned that American warships are being prepared for potential military action against Iran if ongoing negotiations fail to yield a deal. In an interview with the New York Post, Trump indicated that Washington is keeping all options open amid heightened tensions.
According to the report, Trump said the US is reinforcing its naval strength and equipping warships with top-grade weaponry. “We have a reset going. We are loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made even better than what we did previously and we blew them apart. And if we don’t have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively,” the New York Post quoted Trump as saying.
‘World’s most powerful reset’ message
Earlier, Trump posted a brief and cryptic message on his social media platform Truth Social, hinting at a major strategic shift. Referring to a “WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL RESET!!!”, the message has added to speculation over Washington’s next move in the region.
Vance leaves for Pakistan to attend US-Iran peace talks
Earlier on Friday, US Vice President JD Vance left for Pakistan to participate in peace talks with Iran to end their war, even as there was no official word about the arrival of the Iranian delegation in Islamabad, which has been placed under high security. Before he departed for Pakistan, Vance said he was looking forward to the negotiations with Iran and that he expected the Islamabad talks to be “positive.” He also said President Donald Trump gave him “some pretty clear guidelines” on negotiations.
“As @POTUS said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend the open hand. If they’re going to try to play us, then they’re going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive,” Vance said before boarding the plane.
Iran sets pre-conditions before talks begin
According to official sources, the crucial negotiations are now expected to take place on Saturday, a day later than the date earlier announced by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Iran’s state media reported that Tehran has warned it may pull out of the Islamabad talks if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue.
In a post on X, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is expected to be part of the visiting delegation, said two commitments must be fulfilled before negotiations can move forward. “Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations. These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin,” he stated.
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